Why Alaska’s Food Supply Is Everyone’s Business

When most people think about Alaska, they imagine wide-open landscapes, wild salmon runs, and freezers packed with moose meat. What they don’t picture is just how fragile our food system really is.

A recent article in High Country News, “The Messy Reality of Feeding Alaska,” puts it plainly: despite all our resourcefulness, Alaska lives on the edge of a supply chain cliff. (Holland, 2025).

Alaska’s Food Supply: A House of Cards

It’s often said that 95% of Alaska’s food is imported. That number isn’t backed by exact data, but the reality is close enough. The vast majority of what we eat is shipped from Washington State — and much of it passes through the Port of Anchorage with only 3–7 days of food on hand at any given time.

“We are a ship-to-shelf state. When food comes into the port and goes out, it’s anywhere from three to seven days’ worth of food.” – Alaska Food Policy Council

That’s a short runway if anything goes wrong — and plenty can. Earthquakes, wildfires, port delays, fuel shortages, even cyberattacks can ripple through the system.

The Alaska Highway Isn’t the Backbone We Thought

When Canada floated the idea of tolls on Alaska-bound trucks, headlines made it sound like our food security was in their hands.

But according to FEMA data, only about 4% of Alaska’s imported food actually moves up the highway.

The majority? It comes by barge from Tacoma. Slower, yes — but more reliable than trucking fresh food over 2,200 miles of road where potholes and frost heaves can ruin a load of milk or meat.

Local Food Still Matters

For all this dependence on imports, Alaskans are nothing if not resourceful. Roughly 65% of residents — and 98% of rural residents — hunt, fish, or forage. Subsistence foods like salmon, caribou, and berries provide an estimated $450–$900 million worth of food every year.

At the same time, Alaska farming is quietly on the rise. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of farms here grew by 30%, even while farms in the Lower 48 declined. Greenhouses, hydroponics, livestock, aquaculture — it’s not enough to replace imports yet, but it’s a start.

“We can’t grow avocados, but we can grow a lot.” – Rachel Lord, Alaska Food Policy Council

Why Manufacturers Should Care

Food security isn’t just a grocery store problem. It’s a manufacturing and infrastructure problem.

• Producers depend on affordable freight to reach markets.

• Processors need reliable supply chains to scale.

• Communities rely on public infrastructure — ports, airports, barges — that must be maintained, modernized, and protected.

As High Country News points out, the Alaska Highway was built in a matter of months during WWII. But today, the unglamorous work of maintaining ports, barges, and rural airports is what actually keeps Alaska fed.

Building a Stronger Future Together

Alaskans pride themselves on self-sufficiency, but the truth is clear: our food supply is only as strong as the public infrastructure behind it.

That’s why the Alaska Manufacturing Association is committed to supporting local producers, advocating for stronger infrastructure, and creating networks that make our state more resilient.

Because resilience doesn’t just happen — it’s built. And in Alaska, we build it together.

Join the Conversation: What change would make Alaska’s food system feel more secure to you? Share your thoughts in the comments or come to our next MFG Mixer.

---

Reference: Holland, E. (2025, September 4). The messy reality of feeding Alaska. High Country News. https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-9/the-messy-reality-of-feeding-alaska/